You know those amazing YouTube videos that almost look like optical illusions? It could be you, in a heartbeat! Well, maybe not quite in a heartbeat, but with a little practice and determination, you'll be practicing those moves alongside the best.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Part 1: The Skills
Step 1. Fine-tune the isolations
If you've taken dance lessons in your life, isolations will already be familiar to you. This is when you move nothing but a single part of your body - thus isolating it. It might sound easy, but it's very difficult to move one part of your body without affecting another, however imperceptibly. For the robotic nature of dubstep, it is essential.
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Stand in front of the mirror. Start with your head and neck and move along your body, trying to rotate each part of your body independently. Work counterclockwise and clockwise with each part - shoulders, chest, abs, hips, down to the ankles. Work on the smallest parts - finger, fingers, wrists, forearms - once you have mastered the technique. Nothing else should move.
Once you have mastered the circular motions, try moving up and down. You will then move to different planes isolating them most of the time. For example, to move an arm up and down, you will not use your wrist or elbow. Hold it firmly, but move your arm by leveraging your "shoulder"; to be honest, only your shoulder should be in tension
Step 2. Learn to “pop” your abs
There are many helpful YouTube tutorials that can guide you through this process. Basically, you move your abs outward and back in at a very brisk pace or in time with the music. With dubstep, it means pretty fast.
Imagine your body as a clam shell opening and closing. The top and bottom halves should meet in the middle. Practice this move until you own it, as it represents a large part of dubstep moves
Step 3. Balance
You'll be doing most of the work in slow motion. This means that most of the time your weight will "not" be split equally on both legs. And due to the fluid rhythm of the slow-motion parts and the fragmented nature of the jittery parts, no indecision is expected in dubstep.
There will be times when you will find yourself on the toes or sides of your feet. Start practicing now! Yoga will also help
Step 4. Listen to the rhythm
Unlike something classic like a waltz (a simple 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3), dubstep is very fast; often you will have to count 1/8 of a note or the like. If you can't hear it, you won't be able to dance on it.
Find a song you'd like to dance to and start drumming it. When you can reproduce all the filler notes (the small ones between 1, 2, 3, 4) with your hands, you can start doing it with your body
Method 2 of 2: Part 2: The Moves
Step 1. Vibrato
In many dubstep pieces, there are points where the music itself seems to vibrate - the music goes from accenting 1, 2, 3, 4, to 1 "and" 2 "and" 3 "and" 4 quite clearly. When you feel this change, it is time to vibrate.
- Bend your knees into a slightly squatting position. Release them upwards for the most part, so as to move your body slightly up and down. You are basically trembling with almost imperceptibly conviction. Do it quickly and lightly. Minimize your movement but increase your speed so that your body practically vibrates, without being ridiculous.
- Do it even more lightly with your arms and legs. If your limbs move too much, it will look like you are having a seizure.
Step 2. Stop
Dubstep goes from very fast and agitated to slow and harmonious. When you make a transition, stay still for a split second. You will be immersed in your robotic movements, BAM, and straight into your best slow motion. The pause should be barely visible - in fact, only you should notice - but it will serve to accentuate the transition.
This will (generally) always be on the waning rate. There will be a very definite point where your quick movements will die and be replaced by slow motion. Which brings us to …
Step 3. Be convincing in slow motion
Anyone can move slowly. Almost all of them at least. But to move in slow motion and make it seem like you are really in slow motion, you need to be aware of every single part of your body. Your eyes need to close slower, your feet need to touch the floor at slower angles, and you even need to swallow slower.
It is easy to lower your torso, but following with your feet will probably be the hardest part. Once the toe touches the floor, it is tempting to release all the weight. In reality, it is a question of balance that will improve over time
Step 4. Twist
A common sound in dubstep is, frankly, noisy. It is similar to a broken record or a scratched CD when a certain point seems to be enchanted. When this happens, small jerks range from normal, everyday movements to quite visually interesting transitions.
- Start with the head only. Twist it back and forth to the music. It should only be about 4 head shakes - it doesn't last long.
- Work on several levels. Bending at the knees, lower your body gradually with each beat, being careful not to move your arms or neck / head. You are not just moving left and right, but vertically.
- Isolate your arms. On each beat of the "contortion" move your arm (s) independently of the body. The rest of the body shouldn't move. Make sure you follow every beat of the music.
Step 5. Plana
You know the move - it feels almost ethereal. You need to focus on your big toe and put all your weight on it. Remember when we talked about balance? This is exactly why. The knee on your pivot foot should be bent.
- Then, slide the other foot away from you. This foot should never come off the ground. It is literally slipping. If you can't slip, change shoes. You must always, always, always have one foot with one toe and one foot on the ground.
- Change. Your flat foot should move to a heel-up position, in a mirror pivot, and your other foot should be flat on the ground, taking turns. Take this foot and slide it towards you. Repeat. That's it, in fact!
- Remember: the knee is bent over the raised heel. One heel is always raised, therefore also a knee.
Step 6. Make the wave
Would you ever have imagined that it would be back in fashion? There are two basic waves: the arm wave and the body wave. Both require strong “isolation” skills. Let's start with the wave of the arms:
- For the wave of the arms, extend one arm outwards. Lower your hand, then raise your elbow. In case it needs to be reiterated, “isolations”. Then, lift your nearest shoulder, momentarily followed by chest expansion. Repeat along the other arm, starting at the shoulder.
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For the body wave, imagine pulling a rod across your chest. Your shoulders should roll back and your chest eject, initiating the sway motion. The more the chest is out, the better. Then, lower the shaft, bringing the chest back and the stomach out. Then? The same thing - lower the shaft a little more, pulling your stomach in and widening your hips.
Finally, jump into a sitting position. Without shifting your center of gravity (“isolations”!), Jump your knees (on the tips of your fingers), fold them in, and center your weight. Once you've fine-tuned this wave down, bring it back up and back
Advice
- Practice twisting your shoulders and head in small tugs to add visual complexity to your dance.
- Wear a sports bra if you are a girl; you don't want me to see you as your mother made you.
- Don't be afraid to incorporate other people's moves into your personal style. Just remember to respect your source and give back to the community.
